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In just a matter of a few months, Scotty McCreery has made quite a name for himself beyond 'American Idol.' The humble North Carolina native was wrapping up his junior year of high school when he won the popular reality competition show, with a record number of votes cast. Since then, he has seen his debut album, 'Clear As Day,' not only top the all-genre charts but also break chart records. With the album’s debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Scotty is the first country artist to have an all-genre chart topper with their first studio album. At 18, he's also the youngest male singer ever to accomplish that feat. And with one more for the history books, the album’s first radio release, 'I Love You This Big,' was the highest-charting debut single by a new artist since 1984.
So, has this instant, mind-blowing success gone to the former grocery store clerk's head? Absolutely not. What’s just as important to the baritone-voiced musical prodigy is staying true to his roots, his faith, his friends and family. When Scotty visited AOL's New York City studios, we were just as impressed with his humility and Southern charm as we were with his flawless performance of four songs from 'Clear As Day.' Still, the singer insists he’s "not Saint Scott." "I've messed up plenty of times and done some stupid stuff that I shouldn’t have done," he insists, "but that's being a teenager."
A teenager with an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
"It's a sweet song about all of the great things about girls, and turns around and says the 'trouble with girls is that nobody loves trouble as much as me.' Saying nobody loves girls … cause girls are beautiful things. So glad God put 'em on the earth with us."

In just a matter of a few months, Scotty McCreery has made quite a name for himself beyond 'American Idol.' The humble North Carolina native was wrapping up his junior year of high school when he won the popular reality competition show, with a record number of votes cast. Since then, he has seen his debut album, 'Clear As Day,' not only top the all-genre charts but also break chart records. With the album’s debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Scotty is the first country artist to have an all-genre chart topper with their first studio album. At 18, he's also the youngest male singer ever to accomplish that feat. And with one more for the history books, the album’s first radio release, 'I Love You This Big,' was the highest-charting debut single by a new artist since 1984.
So, has this instant, mind-blowing success gone to the former grocery store clerk's head? Absolutely not. What’s just as important to the baritone-voiced musical prodigy is staying true to his roots, his faith, his friends and family. When Scotty visited AOL's New York City studios, we were just as impressed with his humility and Southern charm as we were with his flawless performance of four songs from 'Clear As Day.' Still, the singer insists he’s "not Saint Scott." "I've messed up plenty of times and done some stupid stuff that I shouldn’t have done," he insists, "but that's being a teenager."
A teenager with an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
"It's a sweet song about all of the great things about girls, and turns around and says the 'trouble with girls is that nobody loves trouble as much as me.' Saying nobody loves girls … cause girls are beautiful things. So glad God put 'em on the earth with us."

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Florence Welch's voice is a true force of nature. Hearing it on a Florence and the Machine record is one thing, but being in the same room with her while she's belting out her hits almost makes you physically feel her vocals. And it's even more of a stark experience when she does it over acoustic instrumentation, like she did for a special Sessions taping at our New York studio. After her performance, which included tracks from her new album 'Ceremonials' as well as her 2009 debut 'Lungs,' we sat down with Welch to talk about recording at Abbey Road, the sophomore slump, her favorite cocktail and why she's nearly caused a few car accidents.
"It's a funny thing [when you're drunk], you're not really thinking in a normal way, you know? You're not thinking literally, you're thinking laterally. Everything's coming in quite a strange way, and it was almost as if the song appeared from nowhere."

Florence Welch's voice is a true force of nature. Hearing it on a Florence and the Machine record is one thing, but being in the same room with her while she's belting out her hits almost makes you physically feel her vocals. And it's even more of a stark experience when she does it over acoustic instrumentation, like she did for a special Sessions taping at our New York studio. After her performance, which included tracks from her new album 'Ceremonials' as well as her 2009 debut 'Lungs,' we sat down with Welch to talk about recording at Abbey Road, the sophomore slump, her favorite cocktail and why she's nearly caused a few car accidents.
"It's a funny thing [when you're drunk], you're not really thinking in a normal way, you know? You're not thinking literally, you're thinking laterally. Everything's coming in quite a strange way, and it was almost as if the song appeared from nowhere."

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'American Idol' Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina has had quite a year! By 17, the self-proclaimed "Georgia peach" has become a household name with her run on one the biggest singing competition shows on TV, and toured across the country with her fellow 'Idols' all summer. Lauren made her Grand Ole Opry debut back in June and released her debut solo album 'Wildflower,' which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top County Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200. And all this before the girl has taken her driver's license exam!
To round out her whirlwind year, Lauren hit AOL Music's studio to give an exclusive live Sessions performance of her new 'Wildflower' tracks. In between belting out tunes, the singing sensation posed for our cameras in an exclusive photo shoot and told us her newly accelerated life.
When asked if her friends at home have changed around her since becoming famous, she said "My closest friends haven't changed at all, but people who didn't really like me, like me now [laughs]! That's the weirdest thing. People that I would never talk to, who clearly did not like me, act like we were best friends before. And I just don't like fake people! It just drives me crazy, but I don't say anything."
And don't think you can tie die this 17-year-old lass. She's not looking for a man right now. "It's so weird, the guys that liked me before don't really talk around me anymore. They're so embarrassed and shy. And then the ones that weren't interested at all are like, "What's up?" I don't know, it's just, guys are dumb!"

'American Idol' Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina has had quite a year! By 17, the self-proclaimed "Georgia peach" has become a household name with her run on one the biggest singing competition shows on TV, and toured across the country with her fellow 'Idols' all summer. Lauren made her Grand Ole Opry debut back in June and released her debut solo album 'Wildflower,' which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top County Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200. And all this before the girl has taken her driver's license exam!
To round out her whirlwind year, Lauren hit AOL Music's studio to give an exclusive live Sessions performance of her new 'Wildflower' tracks. In between belting out tunes, the singing sensation posed for our cameras in an exclusive photo shoot and told us her newly accelerated life.
When asked if her friends at home have changed around her since becoming famous, she said "My closest friends haven't changed at all, but people who didn't really like me, like me now [laughs]! That's the weirdest thing. People that I would never talk to, who clearly did not like me, act like we were best friends before. And I just don't like fake people! It just drives me crazy, but I don't say anything."
And don't think you can tie die this 17-year-old lass. She's not looking for a man right now. "It's so weird, the guys that liked me before don't really talk around me anymore. They're so embarrassed and shy. And then the ones that weren't interested at all are like, "What's up?" I don't know, it's just, guys are dumb!"

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Never has there been and never will there likely be a voice like Vince Gill's. His unparalleled range and captivating delivery, coupled with his sublime songwriting skills, have made the Oklahoma native an unmistakable staple on country radio since the early '80s. They've also earned him a trophy case full of Grammys (20, the most of any male country artist), CMA awards (18) and countless other honors.
See Gill play live in concert, and you'll realize that just as uniquely strong of an instrument as his voice is his guitar. Often called the Eric Clapton of country music, the 54-year-old guitar virtuoso can mesmerize an audience with his instrumental jams as much as he can with his vocals. So while Gill doesn't have a self-titled album anywhere to be found in his bustling discography, his latest comes close: 'Guitar Slinger.'
"The original phrase came from my step-kids' grandfather," Gill Tells AOL Music of his compelling track 'Threaten Me With Heaven.' "He had received bad news about his health, and that was his response: 'What are they going to do? Threaten me with heaven?' How very profound ... I think this song honors him in a really great way.'"
'Threaten Me With Heaven' brought on a new meaning when the song's co-writer Will Owsley committed suicide. "He actually played some of the guitar on that record, and then I had to finish it without him. But it's great -- I'll always have that little piece of him playing on that record and the song we wrote together. I'll always have a soft spot for that song, and every time I sing it, I think about him."
Gill honors another fallen friend on his new record, steel guitarist John Hughey who recently passed away, with the 'Buttermilk John.' "John was a steel guitar player who played on my records for nearly 20 years. Everything that you heard me do after 'When I Call Your Name' was John -- he really gave my music great definition. He was probably even more known in the days he played with Conway Twitty in the '60s and '70s. He was a world-class musician, and we were great friends. I wanted to honor him with a song, and his nickname was Buttermilk John because he loved buttermilk and cornbread."

Never has there been and never will there likely be a voice like Vince Gill's. His unparalleled range and captivating delivery, coupled with his sublime songwriting skills, have made the Oklahoma native an unmistakable staple on country radio since the early '80s. They've also earned him a trophy case full of Grammys (20, the most of any male country artist), CMA awards (18) and countless other honors.
See Gill play live in concert, and you'll realize that just as uniquely strong of an instrument as his voice is his guitar. Often called the Eric Clapton of country music, the 54-year-old guitar virtuoso can mesmerize an audience with his instrumental jams as much as he can with his vocals. So while Gill doesn't have a self-titled album anywhere to be found in his bustling discography, his latest comes close: 'Guitar Slinger.'
"The original phrase came from my step-kids' grandfather," Gill Tells AOL Music of his compelling track 'Threaten Me With Heaven.' "He had received bad news about his health, and that was his response: 'What are they going to do? Threaten me with heaven?' How very profound ... I think this song honors him in a really great way.'"
'Threaten Me With Heaven' brought on a new meaning when the song's co-writer Will Owsley committed suicide. "He actually played some of the guitar on that record, and then I had to finish it without him. But it's great -- I'll always have that little piece of him playing on that record and the song we wrote together. I'll always have a soft spot for that song, and every time I sing it, I think about him."
Gill honors another fallen friend on his new record, steel guitarist John Hughey who recently passed away, with the 'Buttermilk John.' "John was a steel guitar player who played on my records for nearly 20 years. Everything that you heard me do after 'When I Call Your Name' was John -- he really gave my music great definition. He was probably even more known in the days he played with Conway Twitty in the '60s and '70s. He was a world-class musician, and we were great friends. I wanted to honor him with a song, and his nickname was Buttermilk John because he loved buttermilk and cornbread."

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Lenny Kravitz's newest album in three years, 'Black and White America,' goes back to his childhood and growing up bi-racial after the civil rights movement of the late '60s and early '70s. Reflecting the period's musical landscape, Kravitz hones in on the earthier side of his influences with jazzy bass lines, rave-up horn charts and some of the most impassioned vocal performances of his career.
The day before he was set to guest star at a stadium show with U2, Kravitz stopped by AOL's Beverly Hills studios for a Sessions performance. After he and his world-class band rocked out songs from 'Black and White America' and his back catalog, Kravitz sat down for an on-camera interview where he talked about the new album, his fiercely independent attitude and where he gets his rock star confidence.
"For me, race was never an issue. It really never was, I didn't even understand it. I knew that my parents looked different, but I never thought about it until society put it in my face."

Lenny Kravitz's newest album in three years, 'Black and White America,' goes back to his childhood and growing up bi-racial after the civil rights movement of the late '60s and early '70s. Reflecting the period's musical landscape, Kravitz hones in on the earthier side of his influences with jazzy bass lines, rave-up horn charts and some of the most impassioned vocal performances of his career.
The day before he was set to guest star at a stadium show with U2, Kravitz stopped by AOL's Beverly Hills studios for a Sessions performance. After he and his world-class band rocked out songs from 'Black and White America' and his back catalog, Kravitz sat down for an on-camera interview where he talked about the new album, his fiercely independent attitude and where he gets his rock star confidence.
"For me, race was never an issue. It really never was, I didn't even understand it. I knew that my parents looked different, but I never thought about it until society put it in my face."